Virtual Worlds Forum

The UK Government is planning a crackdown on computer-generated images of child abuse, with anyone caught with such material facing up to three years in prison. Currently, the UK laws apparently only cover distributing this kind of material - not owning it.

Here's something to chew on if you've got an interest in virtual crime. Dutch researcher Bart Schermer has published a paper called 'Alan Turing and the Matrix: Intelligent Systems for Law Enforcement in Virtual Worlds'. It paints a picture of virtual law enforcement agents operating within virtual worlds in the future.

If you're selling hooky Playboy items in Second Life, it must be a bit of a shock to have two Amazonesque Playmate avatars show up and start taking notes. However, that's what's happening in Second Life, with an investigation led by Playboy Island manager MSGiro Grosso.

Could your conduct in World of Warcraft lead to you being singled out as a potential terrorist? It might sound a far-fetched idea, but that's the implication of a new research study called the Reynard Project, which is reportedly being set up by the US Director of National Intelligence.